ABSTRACT
The plants of the genus Phyllanthus (Euphorbiaceae) comprise about 550 to 750 species which are widely distributed in most tropical and subtropical countries. About 200 species are believed to occur in the Americas, mainly in the Caribbean and Brazil. The plants of the genus Phyllanthus have long been used in folk medicine to treat, among others, kidney and urinary bladder disorders, intestinal infections, diabetes and hepatitis B. In recent years, substantial progress in chemical and pharmacological studies, and a few clinical studies of some Phyllanthus species, were made. This review discusses the current knowledge gained by the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological and biochemical studies performed with the extracts and the main active constituents isolated from different species of plants of the genus Phyllanthus. Data available in the literature strongly support the idea that the extract and some constituents isolated from these plants, including flavanoids, tannins, alkaloids, coumarins, lignans and terpenes, account for their reported antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antispasmodic and antiallergic properties. In addition, some of these compounds were found to interact with most key enzymes, such as aldose reductase, angiotensin converting enzyme, mitochondrial ATPase, both cyclo- and lipooxygenases, phospholipase A2, tyrosine kinase, reverse transcriptase, and phosphodiesterases. The complex mechanism of action of such compounds could explain, at least in part, the wide therapeutic use of the plants of the genus Phyllanthus in folk medicine. Thus, the plants of the genus Phyllanthus present potential therapeutic interest as a source of new drugs.